
Thanks for joining me on this new short series I recently started doing! If you didn’t catch last Friday’s episode, the idea is to give a short, actionable summary of one specific topic. I’ve had the privilege of having so many amazing guests on over the years, and they’ll often give insight into some of the same topics. So this is my Feynman summary of my understanding based on my experiences and research.
Today’s focus is all about habits. January is a popular time to try New Year’s resolutions and healthier habits. But most people don’t end up sticking with them in the long term. Habit stacking is one of the key ways I’ve found to change all that! While I personally don’t make New Year’s resolutions, I do try to have a focus for each year. Habits are kind of a shortcut to reaching those goals.
I cover the research behind how long it actually takes to adopt a new habit (hint: it’s not 21 days). Plus all of my tips and tricks for making sure new habits stick. And why I don’t have the same habits or routines every single day. As always thanks for listening and I can’t wait to dive in!
Episode Highlights From Katie
- The ultimate question is, how do we form habits and get them to stick
- As much as 40% of what we do in a day isn’t the result of decisions, but of habits
- What the research says about habit creation, including methods for starting new habits and making them stick
- The average habit actually takes about 66 days (so over two months) to be created
- Will missing one day of the new habit affect the creation of the new habit?
- What the difference is between habits and routines
- The process of creating a habit isn’t just about learning to do something repeatedly – It’s really about wiring and strengthening the brain
- Don’t let perfect be the enemy of the good when it comes to habit formation
- The concept of habit stacking and the idea of stacking two habits together
- Small habits are easier to implement and you can build on them – don’t make them too big
- The 3 S’s – simple, short, and specific
- It’s easier to replace a habit than to remove it entirely (example: smoking)
- Some of my practical examples that I personally use for habit stacking to give you some ideas to get started
Resources Mentioned
- Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear
- Habit Stacking: 97 Small Life Changes That Take Five Minutes or Less by S.J. Scott
- Psycho-Cybernetics: Updated and Expanded by Maxwell Maltz
- Gallon Water Jug
- Tiny Habits program – BJ Fogg
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